Baggage-seal



(No Model.)

J. W. BRYAN.

BAGGAGE SEAL. No. 368,128. Patented Aug. 9, 1887.

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' UNITED STATES.

PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES W. BRYAN, OF \VILLS CREEK, OHIO.

.BAGGAG E-SEA L.

$PECIPICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 368,128, dated August 9, 1887.

Application filed June 4, [857. Serial No. 240,278. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that LJAMES 'W. BRYaN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of \Vills Creek, in the County of Coshocton and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Baggage-Seals; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,- which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification and in which- Figure l is a perspective View showing my improved seal applied to a car-door. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing it ready to be inserted through the staple on the side of a car.

Fig. 3 is a View of the shackle-wire, forming part of the seal; andFigs. 4t and 5 are views, respectively, of the slide and the seal.

My invention relates to that class of baggage-seals in which a shackle-wire is inserted through a hook or staple and the ends of the wire secured by means of a soft seal, as will be hereinafter more fully described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, in which the same numbers indicate corresponding parts in all of the figures, 1 indicates the shackle-wire, which is bent at its middle to form a rounded central portion, 2, each of the legs 3 being bent inwardly, as shown at 4, where they merge into the rounded portion 2. Ihe lower ends of these legs are provided with enlargements or flattened portions 10 and 11, and, if desired, they can haveasecond enlargement or flattened portion at a little distance above the first ones.

To seal a car-door or package of any kind one of the legs 3 is passed through the staple or other means of securement until said staple is received in the rounded portion 2. Aslide, 5, having holes 6 at its ends, is then passed over the lower ends of the legs and passed up into the notches or inwardly-bent portions 4, where it can be secured by stamping it, so as to press the material of which it is composed tightly around-the shacklewire, or it can be left as originally applied without compression. After the slide has been secured in position the seal 7, which is provided with holes 8 and 9, is passed over the enlarged portions upon the ends of the legs and then compressed by any suitable means, causing the material forming the walls of the perforations or holes to be tightly compressed around the wire.

If desired, a stamp for compressing the seal can be provided with suitably-engraved faces, which will so indent the sides of the seal that all tampering with it will be shown by thedestruction of such design or impression.

Instead of making the slide and seal with the holes or perforations through them of the same size, so that they can be slipped over the enlargements upon the lower ends of the legs, they can be made with oneof the holes smaller than the other, as shown in the drawings. In this construction it is necessary to pass one of the legs through the smaller perforation before its lower end is enlarged or flattened. In this manner the seals can be made and sold complete, as after the end of that leg has been enlarged it will be impossible for the seal and slide to pass over it; but by having the other hole large enough the slide and seal can be 'easil y passed over the enlargement of the other leg in sealing a package. Y

By having the slide passed up into the bulged or bent portion of the shackle-wire it will be impossible to compress the rounded central portion of the wire sufficiently to permit of the hasp or other catch to be passed over the end of the staple and the wire, and thus gain access to the interior of the package without damaging the seal, as could easily be done if the slide were not used. As the lower ends of the legs of the wire must be crossed or brought close together to permit of the slide being passed into or out of the bulged portions, to prevent the seal from being slipped up on the legs to permit of the removal of the slide, and

thus gain access without destroying the seal,

each of the legs can be providedwith asecond enlargement above or between the first enlargements and the bulged portions. As the device is very simple, and the slide and seal can be secured in position by a hammer or other suitable means, it can be used for a great variety of purposes, as for car-doors, expresspackages, mail-pouches, the.

Having thus described my invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States-- 1. Abaggage-seal comprisingashaekle-wire provided with a rounded portion and inwardly-curved portions below said rounded portion, and means, substantially as described, for securing the inwardly-curved portion of the wire.

2. Abaggage-seal comprising a shackle-wire the legs of which are provided with inwardlyeurved portions, a slide having holes in its ends, whereby it may be secured upon said curved portions of the legs, and means, sub stantially as described, for securing and sealing the lower ends of said wire.

Abaggage seal comprisinga shackle-wire the legs of which are provided with enlargements at their lower ends, inwardly-curved 2o portions above said enlargements, second enlargements between the enlargements at the end and the curved portions, a slide having holes in its ends, whereby it may be secured in said curved portion, and a seal having holes whereby it may be secured between the two enlargements.

4. Abaggage-seal comprising a shackle-wire the ends of the legs of which are provided with enlargements, inwardlycurved portions above said enlargements, a seal, and a slide, each having holes whereby they may be socured thereon, one of theholcs of theslide and the seal being larger than the other.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereunto affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

J AMES W. BRYAN.

\Vitnesses:

JOHN BERTON, JUs'rIN BERTON, 

